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Sources report that the deadline for accepting bids on the Hulu online video service has been extended to the end of this week to give potential bidders more time to complete their due diligence on Hulu's financial statements. Among the prospective bidders are Amazon.com, DIRECTV, Google and Yahoo, the sources said.

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China is now the top PC market, and its dominance highlights the importance of emerging markets, according to industry watchers. PC shipments hit 18.5 million in China in the second quarter, while the U.S. saw 17.7 million shipped. "The center of gravity of the PC industry has shifted away from the developed world," said David Wolf, CEO at Wolf Group Asia, a marketing-strategy firm.

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Walt Mossberg, technology columnist for The Wall Street Journal, tried out the Apple TV, Boxee Box and Roku 2 XS media boxes to see which worked best in delivering an experience more similar to watching television, rather than using a PC.

Michael White, CEO of DIRECTV, acknowledged his company is among those considering making a bid for the Hulu online video streaming service, but said the benefits of such a move are still under review. Sources say DIRECTV's main competitor, DISH Network, has also checked out Hulu's finances; other potential bidders include AT&T, Apple, Google and Yahoo.